apple crisp recipe: Stocking Stuffers for The Discerning Foodie

To contact us Click HERE

There are ten shopping days left until Christmas. That means that you can still have something shipped just about anywhere. It means that you can still leave a detailed want list with pictures and website links for your significant other. It means that you can still give your kids money and stand them in front of the shelf containing the item you want and then accompany them to the check out. (That option might mean that there is still time for you to wrap your own present, too). Regardless, there is still time.

Now, if you are out of ideas and don’t know what to ask for, you have come to the right place. Seriously, the following items should have a home in every foodie’s kitchen. I will be emailing this post to my husband shortly.

Sugar Sheets by Wilton and Stamps to decorate a cake with no talent! I am totally referring to myself. Please. All you have to do is look at my coconut pound cake to realize that I am frosting challenged. With sugar sheets, I might be able to serve a layer cake to company. Although this picture looks like fondant and that is even scarier than frosting…all that folding and smoothing. It’s like trying to get a fitted sheet folded.

BowlOvers ecologically responsible covers for leftovers and open food. Use less plastic wrap, throw away less trash. A British gal invented these. She hated plastic wrap and tried shower caps from hotels instead. That wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but the idea was close. She sewed up some covers from tea towels and Snap! BowlOvers were born. I especially like the gingham style, but the sayings on some are cute! Now available in the US and Canada.

(note: I received a set of BowlOvers at no cost to myself and have used them for a few weeks. They work so well, they don’t shrink when washed and even fit over square pans – all opinions are my own)

Metal Rotary Cheese Grater (great for chocolate, too!) Ever since my plastic rotary grater broke, I have been eying these babies. I am pretty rough on graters. I think that my adoration of cheese causes my to be impatient to eat it and I push to hard. I have broken food processors that way, too.
Oxo Mini Beaker Set. Are these not TOO cute? They make me want to over flavor something just so I can use them all at once. Maybe I could color something orange by using red and yellow liquid food colors. Then I could flavor it with vanilla and peanut butter extracts! (note: I received a set of Mini Beakers at no cost to myself. All opinions are my own)
Rococo Pot Holders from Anthropologie I make short work of staining my pot holders. None of the ones that I use regularly are fit to put in any photographs. These would stay nice and pretty out in the studio. No spaghetti sauce for these lovelies.
Basil Infused Olive Oil…any infused olive oil for that matter. The flavor is unbelievable. The possibilities unending. Aren’t you tired of seeing bloggers cook with this stuff without having any yourself?
Unzipped Glass Zipper Bag. Is your kitchen as full of ziploc bags as mine? Why not have a permanent tribute to all of those plastic bags? Fill it with candy, beans, erasers….just not raw meat.
Mushroom Growing Kit. I got one of these exact kits last year from my husband. It was a surprisingly fantastic gift. I used it a couple of times and made the best mushrooms. It’s very easy to use and you harvest enough mushrooms to make yourself think you are saving a lot of money.
Rocket Shaped Popsicle Molds. It used to be that you couldn’t go to a thrift store without finding Tupperware popsicle molds on the shelf. Now, Jupiter has to align with Venus, Mars and the Moon in order to find them. So, buy them new. Buy them in fancy shapes. Knock your kids’ socks off by making pudding pops, frozen yogurt pops or anything else you can think of!
Floating Mulling Spice Ball. Show by a raise of hands how many folks hate getting out cheesecloth and forming a bag for spices or herbs. Anyone? Yeah, I thought so. Me too. A floating metal ball sounds like just the ticket for cider or soup.
Cupcake Kitchen Timer. I think all kitchens should have a silly/unique/conversation starting timer. While you and your friends are standing around waiting for the soup to boil, you can say something like, “Hey! Have you seen my kitchen timer? It’s a cupcake.” You’ll have to take the conversation from there…I’m fresh out of ideas.
Orange Blossom Honey. This is one of Florida’s special things. Honey made from Orange Blossoms has a distinct flavor all of its own. You all need some. Your biscuits and scones will never be the same again once you have had it.